1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to project planning engines and more particularly to an improved planning engine which automatically monitors the status of tasks being performed by resources.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today's complex projects often have large design teams with complex methodologies and tools. Each tool may perform a specific task within the design flow. Teams may range from a few individuals on up to the hundreds. The need to control and track these activities have become a major focus within corporations today. The current method involves a graphical entry tool that allows the user to enter start and end dates and to link activities together, and to list the required resource (person) for the task.
Another software execution tool then uses an e-mail system to send out reminder notes to the resource (person) as to the task that needs to be completed and the time frame it needs to be accomplished during. It allows the resource (person) who has the task completion responsibility to enter into the system when the task is completed. This can be overridden by the project manager and his delegates. Usually, a team will designate a Project Team Leader whose job description is gathering the status of the team, and ensuring that the project planner stays in sync with the activities.
Several flaws exist with this present system. First, it is difficult to gather the data and keep the plan on track with all the individuals and activities within the project. Also, one person's definition of complete, may be different from another. Another problem is that there is not a connection with the ongoing activities and the project planning tool. These methodologies may be custom or ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) methodologies, but each is a collection of tools whose sum of the total results in a functional chip. The actual execution of these tools, and the project planning are conventionally only connected to a limited extent. Once again, the designers and Project Team Leader must factor these tasks/resources into the global plan. Another major flaw is that often the individual designers are not fully integrated into the project. Except for the status between the designer (resource and the Project Team Leader), the individual designers do not have direct update access to the plan. With the conventional systems, having all the designers accessing the project plan would most likely lead to chaos, and error.